


Will We Meet Again?

by cheney1317



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-09-18 14:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9390074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheney1317/pseuds/cheney1317
Summary: Ali is a nurse in the Army. Ashlyn is an Army Ranger. Both are deployed in Iraq and meet under certain circumstances. Will they meet again?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I found this on my computer, made some changes, and thought I'd try it out.

“Well good morning sunshine.” Ali said as her best friend Heather joined her and Owen in the mess hall.

“Why are you always so cheery in the mornings?” Heather groaned. They had been in the sandbox for nine months and her friend’s attitude never ceased to amaze her.

“Oh you know, just a typical day in the lovely Iraqi countryside.” Ali sipped her coffee. “Ready to seize the day and save some lives.”

Ali and Heather were nurses in the Army while Owen was a doctor who loved hanging out with the two women. Ali and Heather had met on their last tour and quickly formed a lasting bond. During their time between tours, they had meet Owen at a military hospital back in D.C. They had all become fast friends, and here they were, all stationed together yet again.

“Ever the optimist.” The other nurse chuckled. “Me on the other hand, I’m counting down the days to our departure in a month.”

“Ah but what will you do with yourself in the good ole U-S-of A?” Owen asked.

“Hmm let’s see, hang out with my husband.” Heather pondered. “Work with you two back at Walter Reed. You should ask Ali here what her plans are.”

Attention shifted to the brunette and she quieted her voice. “I think I am going to transfer to the reserves after this tour. It’s been almost five years, I’m not getting any younger, and I think I want to try and settle down some.”

“Right, Ali Krieger, settle down. I’ll believe it when I see it.” They all laughed.

“Shut it Heather.” Ali threw her orange peel at the other nurse as she feigned innocence.

“Okay, serious talk. Meet in two hours for kickoff?” Owen said as they all huddled closer. “We should try to start sooner rather than later today; it’s supposed to be a hot one.”

“Oh good, it’ll be 125 rather than our usual chilly 110 weather.” Heather scoffed.

“Well, Heather is just full of jokes this morning.” Ali says and she stands, bringing her coffee with her. “I’m going to make my trek across the sand and get ahead on some stuff at the hospital. See you guys at the pitch in a bit.”

“She’ll never be able to stop this. She is too good at what she does.” Owen spoke softly.

“Preaching to the choir, bro.” Heather said. “Come on, let’s follow miss thing’s lead and start the day so I can look forward to whooping ass later.”

 

* * *

 

“Alright, we need the whole battalion on their toes for this one.” Major McNutt said sternly. “We are in pursuit of a high value target located in this building. Based on recon done in the last week, he should be in there with four of his men. We don’t know the whereabouts of the rest of his people, but the higher-ups have ordered it and want the best on it.”

The major pulled up a detailed map on the hood of the Humvee as the unit leaders gathered in closer. “I want a front and back entry team, a team to cover the side entry, and team to back up the front guys after they go in. Morris and company take the back, Jones take the side, and Williams you guys will take the front and Harris and her team will cover you. We will have a covering unit outside the hot zone, and artillery at the base is on alert. I know these aren’t ideal circumstances, but they just want this guy out; dead or alive. Alive is preferred, but dead is necessary. Go get your teams ready.”

“Hooah, sir.” The team yelled and went to prepare for the mission.

“What do you say, Cap?” Braxton Hayes, best friend and right hand man to Ashlyn Harris, came up beside her as they neared her team.

“I say this sounds like a shit show and I don’t have a great feeling about it, but we are Rangers and this is what we do.” She replied, quiet enough that only her friend would hear. “And you’re captain too, dummy, enough with the nicknames.”

The leader explained the mission to her team and gave them a few minutes to ready their gear. She grabbed two bottles of water and went to the other captain, tossing it to him. “Better hydrate, it’s supposed to be a scorcher.” Then she took a sip of her own bottle before dumping the rest over her short brown locks.

“Thank you for that breaking news report, ma’am.” Braxton joked as he drank. They saw the teams getting ready to move. Looking at each other in silence, they strapped on their helmets and moved. “Here we go, Cap.”

The troops quickly and quietly got into their positions. Williams called out for anyone in the building to exit with their hands up. One man appeared. Williams had him drop to his knees and lift his shirt. Once cleared they moved the man away and called out one more time before entering. Ashlyn’s team took their position, covering the front door as she watched the other unit go in. Then they heard a radio from the back of the house.

“I have movement. A woman coming toward the back. She’s got something on.” Morris explained. Then they heard a gasp. “Pull out, she’d got a vest on! Retreat!”

That was the last thing the battalion heard before an explosion rang out, followed by an onslaught of bullets. This mission had been a set up and the enemy had been waiting for them.

“I need a medic back here. We have four guys down and are under heavy fire.” Morris yelled.

“Jones move to the back and cover Morris and the injured. Williams get your team out of there.” The order came over the radio. All the teams were busy defending themselves as the fire fight continued.

“Cover me Brax, I’m going in.” Ashlyn turned to her friend. Upon entering, she found two wounded and called out for the remaining soldier three. She pulled on soldier out and went back in, where she found Williams and the rest of the unit. “Grab his other shoulder and pull back to our position.”

Once out of the house, they continued to fire, but couldn’t get the upper hand. “McNutt, we are sitting ducks out here. Call the artillery and get the chopper here for the wounded.”

“All units pull out for artillery to fire on this position.” The leader commanded. “Call out when clear.”

“Williams we will cover you so you can pull these guys the rest of the way out, then cover us.” The captain directed. She and her guys laid out cover fire. When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she stood to retreat. One step in and she felt a sting in her side, dropping down to one knew. “Shit!”

Braxton turned around, seeing their leader with a red patch on her side. He went back to help her while the other soldiers fired. As they moved back, Ashlyn saw it coming from the corner of her left eye. A grenade. Her eyes widened as it landed several feet away. They ran as far as they could. At the last millisecond, she threw herself into her friend, shielding him and gaining another foot of distance as it exploded to her left.


	2. Chapter 2

“Alright troops let’s do this.” Heather spoke in their team huddle. “Today we will defend our title.”

 

The other members of the team just chuckled and they broke apart and took their positions on the dirt pitch.

 

“Goal!” Heather screamed and ran with her arms open wide as her squad took the 1-0 lead after 25 minutes. Ali, Owen, and their team stormed the woman as they cheered their lead.

 

After another 20 minutes, sweat was pouring off their bodies so they took a water break and tried to find some shade. They heard it before they saw it, then watched the UH-60 Black Hawk flying away from the base. They looked at one another knowingly. Seconds later, pagers were going off left and right. They all grabbed their packs and ran to the hospital.

 

After a quick shirt change, Ali and Heather were in the trauma bay along with Owen as they waited for the injured soldiers to arrive.

 

“It’s a bad one.” Owen reported. “Ranger battalion was ambushed. At least ten injured so far. We have the worst three coming in on the chopper first. Krieger, O’Reilly with me. Here we go people, on your toes.”

 

Ali, Heather, and Owen all looked at each other. This was what they lived for. No matter what came through those doors. They all took a breath and readied themselves for the afternoon.

 

* * *

 

As the cloud of dirt and debris settled, all she could feel was searing hot pain. Her vision was white and gray static. It felt like someone had had poured warm water all around her as blood started to pour out. She was gasping for breath. Then she saw the face of her best friend as he turned her over. She could see his mouth moving but had no idea what he was saying.

 

“You stay with me now, okay. Breath.” Captain Hayes tried to calm his friend. “I need a medic now!”

 

As their medic, John Brooks, arrived she rasped out, “Am I going to die?”

 

It took all his power not to break down right there. “Hell no! You hang in there Cap.” He proceeded to tie tourniquets on Ashlyn’s left arm and left leg. Brooks quickly dressed the worst of the wounds so they could get her to the landing zone.

 

Brooks and Hayes got her on the helicopter and watched as the Black Hawk sped away. Braxton feared that would be the last time he would see his friend alive.

 

Aboard the chopper, medics managed to start an IV in her right arm and an oxygen mask on her face. They worked to stop the bleeding and stabilize the captain as they neared the base. They were met with stretchers for the wounded soldiers and Ashlyn was wheeled into the hospital, in a haze of what was going on around her.

 

* * *

 

They had been waiting for the medics by the door when it burst open with medics wheeling in the first stretcher. “Captain Harris, part of the ranger team that was ambushed. Through and through to the right, lower abdomen. Major blast injuries, left side took the hit. Burns to the left leg and severed left arm. Most likely shrapnel wounds to left side and back. Major blood loss, can’t get a clear airway, probable internal injuries, and we haven’t been able to tell about any head injury. She’s all yours Major Hunt.”

 

“Okay Captain Harris, I’m Major Hunt and this is my team. Let’s get you taken care of alright.” He wanted to calm his patient as he looked her over. It would be a long afternoon but he would work his very hardest to keep her alive.

 

“Krieger get those shears and get as much of these clothes off as quickly as we can to evaluate her injuries. O’Reilly, get those dressings off the arm so we can have a look.” Hunt directed and they began working.

 

The soldier’s body armor had already been removed, so Ali began cutting up the middle of the uniform. They could immediately see the bleeding bullet wound and a few shrapnel wounds on her lower torso. As she got to the top of the shirt she could see Ashlyn’s chest heaving at a fast rate, trying to get air. She pulled out her stethoscope to listen. “Hunt, collapsed lung on the left side. She needs a chest tube right now before she stops breathing.”

 

They prepped to place the tube laying a drape over her chest. Before the doctor cut, Ali felt a hand on her arm. “Help me…”

 

She looked down into the scared soldier’s eyed and squeezed her hand back. “It’s okay, this is going to help you breath.”

 

Owen got the tube in through her ribs and blood immediately flowed out. He listened to her lungs again, sounding a little better. “Alright that should be good for now. Get those pants off. I want to check if any of this blood is coming from an artery.”

 

Once down to her compression boxers they evaluated the leg wound. Luckily nothing major was severed there, and it was mostly small lacerations and burns. Where she hadn’t been protected by the vest, Ashlyn had small bits of shrapnel. They had to flip her on her right side to look at her back where they found pieces lodged in her upper left back and bruising on her back.

 

“I want to keep an eye on the bruising to watch for internal bleeding and we’ll check for it when we get her into surgery.” Hunt said. He heard his patient cry out as they laid her flat again. “I know you’re in pain captain. Now that we’ve seen everything we are going to work on that arm and get you into surgery.”

 

Now that Ashlyn was on her back, she felt like someone was sitting on her chest. Suddenly it was more pain than anything else she was feeling. She tried to call out, but it was too much. She reached for the nurse who had comforted her earlier.

 

Ali felt the hand grasp at her arm again. “I know, we are going to get you some medicine here in a second.” She went to grab another syringe, the hand grabbed her harder. Her eyes met a pair of eyes in great distress. Something was obviously wrong. “Owen, something isn’t right.”

 

“Her BP and pulse are dropping.” He read the machines. “Shit, it’s got to be cardiac tamponade, exacerbated by the change of position. We don’t have time for CT if this is it. We need to get her to an OR stat. Everything else can wait. O’Reilly, meet us in the OR with antibiotics. I want her loaded up until we get specifics. She’s got a lot of open wounds and the last thing she needs is an infection.”

 

“Okay captain, I need you to stay with me.” Ali looked into drooping eyes as the wheeled her to an operating room. “You’ve got blood around your heart from all the trauma. We have to open your chest to repair the issue.”

 

“We need all the blood we can get. And I want ortho, neuro, and a debridement team standby to fix the arm. I want to get as much done in here as she can tolerate." With that Hunt placed a mask over his charge’s mouth and nose. “Rest easy now Harris, we’ve got you.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Alright bleeding is under control around the heart and lungs.” Dr. Hunt was pleased with the save and the patient’s vitals were responding. “Dr. Thomas take over on closing the chest and we’ll move to the bullet wound.”

 

They had been in the operating room for several hours now, repairing the heart while the orthopedic surgeon worked on setting the various breaks to the left arm. The neurosurgeon worked to repair and maintain the neural and vascular integrity of the arm. Next they would work to debride the wounds and set the skin flaps so they could get pressure dressings on.

 

“The bullet was in and out. Doesn’t look like it hit anything major. Sutures please.” Owen looked to Ali as she handed him the suture kit.

 

After another two and a half hours the surgical teams had removed most of the shrapnel from her torso and back, cleaned and dressed her burns and lacerations, and debrided and put most of her arm back together for now. They packed it with pressure dressings until the next round of cleaning.

 

“Good work everybody. She’ll need a lot more surgeries, but we have made that a possibility for her future.” Hunt was proud off all their efforts. “I want an abdominal and head CT to check for bleeds before we open her up anymore. Then let’s get her to the ICU.”

 

With that, the soldier makes a quick stop to get scanned, then is taken to the ICU to be monitored.

 

* * *

 

 

“Man that was a big one.” Heather said as they got into the lounge, grabbing bottles of Gatorade. They were exhausted after an adrenaline filled several hours.

 

“No kidding.” Ali huffed as she sat on the couch. “We haven’t had one like that in a while. She’s lucky to be alive. Is her squad here? Have they been updated?”

 

“I think Owen was going to look for them now.” Before she could say anything else, Ali was out the door.

 

She found her friend standing with two soldiers covered in blood. She had seen one before and recognized him as a unit leader. Ali could tell the other was a close friend just by the look on his face. “Major Hunt…”

 

“Ah there you are. Captain, Major this is one of our head nurses overseeing Captain Harris’s care, Captain Ali Krieger.” He introduced them and they all shook hands. “Is she back in the ICU now?”

 

“Yes, we got her set up in there a few minutes ago. CT scans are up for you to look at.” Usually they don’t let people back in the ICU, but the look on the soldier’s face was too much for Ali to handle. “I think if one of you would like to come back with me for a few minutes it would do you all some good. Captain Hayes?”

 

“I’d like that. Thank you!” All Braxton wanted was to see his friend. He followed the doctor and nurse back to an area designated as the intensive care unit. They pulled the curtain back and he nearly dropped to the floor. There, in front of him, was his best friend in the world covered in bandages and tubes. “Oh shit, Cap.”

 

“I know it looks bad, but she’s doing much better now than when she was brought in.” Ali put a hand on the trembling man’s shoulder to calm him. “We had to crack her chest to get fluid out from around her heart and lungs. The bullet wound missed vital organs, we had to put in a chest tube for her collapsed lung, we removed shrapnel and she has some burns.”

 

“Is that all?” Hayes tried to joke. “Cap always has to one up everyone else.”

 

“The biggest question now is the arm, if she’ll keep it, and any infections. The bones have been splinted and we will continue to debride the wounds. She is on the next C-17 to Germany where I’m sure she will have plates put in and skin graft for reconstruction of the arm.” Ali explained to the man, hoping to present it as gently as possible. “That tube is breathing for her right now because of all the trauma. Dr. Hunt is looking at scans to check for any internal bleeding. I know it’s a lot, but she is still with us.”

 

Braxton grasped Ashlyn’s right hand gently and knelt down as his tears silently fell. Ali left to give him a few minutes and check what the next steps were.

 

“Ashlyn you have to be okay. You’ve got to.” He was practically begging. “You are the strongest person I know. You gotta get through this Cap.”

 

He sat there for a little while, just ribbing gentle strokes on her knuckles as he listened to the in and out of the oxygen machine and steady beat of the other machines.

 

* * *

  

“How are things looking in here?” Ali and Heather found Owen looking at the scans.

 

“Head looks clear, just a small area with a possible bleeder. Neuro wants to keep an eye on it for now.” He turned to the women, rubbing his face. “No clear bleeding in the abdomen but her kidneys look pretty badly bruised. I need you guys to watch her urine output for the next few hours. If there’s blood, I may want to get her on dialysis.”

 

“You got it.” Heather replied then looked at her watch. “We’ve got about three hours until her next debridement and round of meds. What do you say we go grab a cup of coffee?”

 

“I like the way you think HAO.” Ali said.

 

“I try, girl.” The other nurse joked as they took a quick stroll to get a pick me up.

 

* * *

  

“Hey Al, Captain in the ICU, Owen was right there is blood.” Heather reported. “I’m going to let him know.”

 

“Alright I’ll head there now and get her ready if we are putting her on dialysis.” Ali replied and made her way to their patient. Once there, she found a team working to clean her arm again. “Oh sorry I thought you guys would be done.”

 

“Sorry Captain, it’s taking a bit longer than expected.” One of the nurses said as they continued to work. “We should be done in the next few minutes, then we’ll get the dressings on and she will be good for a while.”

 

Ali stayed and watched while they finished, looking for any sign of consciousness from the soldier. She was pretty doped up on meds so the nurse didn’t really expect anything, but with all the pain it wasn’t uncommon for some to wake up.

 

By ten o’clock that night, Ashlyn had been placed on dialysis to help her bruised kidneys and was done for the night as far as treatments. Ali was cleaning stuff up in the room while Owen finished putting things in her chart. “Good work tonight Ali. You’re a great trauma nurse. You won’t see stuff like this back in the reserves.”

 

“Funny Owen. Trying to change my mind already.” Ali joked. She pulled up the chair from the corner of the room and sat down. The Major gave her a questioning look, “I’m going to stay here for a little while, see if she wakes up.”

 

“Only the best my friend.” He smiled at her commitment. “We just have to get her through thirty-six more hours here, then she’s off to Landstuhl. Get some sleep Ali. Good night.”

 

“Good night, sir.” They both cracked a grin at the sentiment. And with that, it was just the two of them. She enjoyed this time because she could truly care for her patients. She had put a container of warm water beside the bed with a sponge. She began to wipe away the dirt and grime from anywhere on her right arm that wasn’t covered by a bandage. Then she lifted parts of the thin sheet and continued cleaning ay visible skin.

 

After a bit, she dried everything she had cleaned, then refilled the container. She patted the short, brown hair until it was damp then pulled out a small bottle of shampoo. After diluting it with water she worked some into her hair, mindful of the cuts and bandages on her face and neck. The she dampened the hair again, the water falling onto surrounding towels. Ali pulled out a comb and ran it through the locks. She did a quick dry again and left a dry towel beneath Ashlyn’s head. “There we go. Now you’ll feel a little better.”

 

The brunette emptied the water and put all the items away. When she turned around to sit back down she was met with a slightly open eye. She held the other woman’s right hand, gently rubbing her thumb over the knuckles until she felt the faintest squeeze. All the nurse could do was smile. “Welcome back soldier.”


	4. Chapter 4

She felt like she was floating in the clouds. There was nothing. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t feel anything. Her haze was broken by soft chocolate eyes looking back at her. The soldier couldn’t make out the words that she spoke. She had no idea where she was. It was the soft feel of skin on her knuckles that grounded her as the fog lifted. Then the pain hit. The worst pain she had ever felt.

 

* * *

 

Ali watched as her patient’s eyes slowly opened. She could see the confusion in her hazel eyes. There seemed to be a slight sense of calm between them, but it didn’t last long.

 

All of a sudden, a switch seemed to flip and the soldier was freaking out. Luckily her left arm had been numbed because every other limb was flailing about. She looked like she was choking as she coughed with the tube down her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes and her nostrils flared at the pain.

 

“Captain! Captain Harris!” Ali was struggling to calm her down, but needed to soon or she would hurt herself even more. Ali lowered herself so her chest was holding down the other woman and her hands went to either side of her face to stop the movements. The soldier’s hand took a vice grip on the nurse’s arm.

 

“Hey, hey. Can you look into my eyes?” Ali spoke calmly trying to meet Ashlyn’s eyes. After a moment, they were finally locked in a gaze as the captain’s movements slowed. “There you go. It’s okay, you’re okay. I really need you to try and stay calm.”

 

When Ashlyn had finally settled, Ali tried to move but she was held in place by the grip on her arm. She stayed where she was and wiped the tear from Ashlyn’s eyes. “You are in the hospital captain Harris. I am your nurse, captain Ali Krieger. You’ve been through quite a bit today. If you can understand what I’m saying, can you squeeze my arm?”

 

Squeeze.

 

“Very good, captain. You have a tube down your throat to help you breath, that’s why you can’t talk. You have sustained several injuries and we have you on medicines for the pain and the fight infections” the nurse explained. She could still see distress in the patient’s eyes. “Are you still in pain?”

 

Strong squeeze.

 

“I am very sorry but we can’t give you anything else right now.” It killed her to see the woman hurting so much. A new tear formed in the corner of Ashlyn’s eyes. Ali wiped it again and looked at her watch. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ll get you more in about two hours.”

 

She could see the faintest bit of relief at her statement. They stayed in that position for what felt like hours. Ali hunched over her charge, focusing on not pressing down too hard to avoid the injuries, staring into hurting eyes and running her fingers over the bruised cheek every so often. After a while, she could see that the soldier’s eyes had glazed over so she took the opportunity to move.

 

Ali did a quick round on her other patients, got a cup of coffee, grabbed the medicines and returned to the ICU. She sat back down the chair beside the bed. Upon hearing the chair move, the captain’s eyes shot open. Her hand staring to move, in search of something, and Ali took it immediately, feeling it tremble.

 

“We’ve got about twenty minutes so I am going to check your wounds.” The nurse explained as Ashlyn lightly squeezed her hand and let go. Ali spent the next few minutes explaining the injuries the soldier had sustained. Ali could see the shock in her eyes. “I know it’s a lot, but you’re alive and will make a recovery.”

 

After getting the medicine, Ashlyn wasn’t long for the world. As her eyes closed Ali took a few minutes to watch her sleep before she too let her eyes drift before her morning rounds.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey Al,” the brunette was woken by the soft voice of her friend. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and took in her surroundings.

 

“Sorry, I’m up.” Her eyes went to the captain as she checked her vitals, which seemed to be holding steady enough. She looked over and saw Heather giving her a look. “What? She was in a lot of pain and I had to make sure she was okay.”

 

“Uh huh.” Heather snickered. “Ah Major Hunt, sleeping beauty awakes.”

 

“Good to see you up.” He joked before turning more serious. “Rough night?”

 

“When she woke up, yeah.” Ali was now wide awake and ready for the day. “She was maxed out on meds and still in quite a bit of pain. We need to watch her because she’;; thrash around a lot. I was able to calm her down though.”

 

“Ok we will watch her. If necessary we’ll get some soft restraints.” The major said, putting the chart back. “Now, go take a few minutes to freshen up, get some coffee and something to eat.”

 

“That won’t be necessary. I can calm her down if she gets agitated.” Ali stated very matter of factly. “And I’m fine.”

 

“I will be the judge of if she needs to be restrained.” The man held his ground. “If you are fine, you’re free to check on another patient, Captain.”

 

“Alright you two!” Heather had seen enough. Tensions were high and everyone was tired. “Everybody cool it. The patient is stable for now, let’s leave her be.”

 

A few hours had passed since the incident and Ali had stayed very busy. It was another busy day in the hospital. She was currently in the process of stitching up an arm laceration when her pager went off for a 911 in the ICU. She saw it and sprinted toward the call.

 

* * *

 

 

She could feel herself coming out of it again. She prayed it wouldn’t be as bad this time. She felt like she was going to die it was so bad.

 

Again, as the fog lifted the pain increased. She became more and more aware of her surroundings as her eyes opened. She needed to find some way to relieve the pain, but she was alone. She tried to move but found she couldn’t. There was so much pain. She could hear machines going off. She began to panic.

 

A new nurse came in and tried to calm her down, the but the captain’s mind was too clouded by the pain as she began to fight whatever was holding her back. The nurse tried to stop her, calling for anyone to help. Both Ali and Owen were paged. Owen arrived first and joined the effort to calm the patient. Just as he called for someone to get him a sedative, the brunette rounded the corner.

 

All Ali could see was chaos. Two people were holding the woman down as she struggled, the room was loud, and there was a flurry of activity. As Heather came in beside her, she moved closer to the bed. When the major moved to grab the syringe to calm the short haired woman, Ali stepped in where he had left.

 

She could see that Ashlyn’s right arm and legs were restrained. Seeing the fear and pain in her eyes made her blood boil. She could hear strangled coughs and cries as Ashlyn’s face got redder and she fought the tube.

 

Ali’s hands went right to the material around her right wrist. Releasing it, she pulled the strong hand to her chest just below her neck, and her other hand went to the soldier’s cheek. “Captain Harris, look at me. I need you to calm down.” She rubbed her thumb softly on the cheek until pained eyes finally met hers and she spoke softly, “There you go, Ashlyn.”

 

When Major Hunt tried to move in with the sedative, Heather reached out to stop him. “Owen just wait. Let Ali do her thing.” With the stare of the woman, he reluctantly waited and watched.

 

As the soldier began to calm, Ali grabbed a few tissues and started to dry her face. She could hear the monitors slowing just a bit. “Remember you are in the hospital after you got hurt in the field. There is a tube helping you breath and you can’t move your other arm.” Ali felt a faint squeeze on the hand by her neck. “We really need you to try and stay calm. Focus on the rise and fall of my chest.” She flattened the hand on her sternum. “I know you are still in a lot of pain." She saw the hazel eyes widen and felt the hand try to squeeze.

 

With a quick look to her friend, Ali signaled for Heather to get them the medicine they needed. When Ali tried to straighten in the pillow and sheet from her position, she noticed blood and found some areas where the stitches had ripped from all the movement. At this point she was seething. After removing the other restraints, she balled them up, and walked to the door.

 

“I told you there weren’t necessary.” She held back her yell toward the doctor. He may be her friend but at this moment she did not agree with his care plan. She shoved the balled up material into his chest. “Not to worry, I’ll take care of this. Sir.”

 

* * *

 

Once alone in the room, the brunette gave Ashlyn the meds, hoping to relieve her pain. She then took her time to re-stitch some of the shrapnel wounds on her neck, back and side. Even with the soft restraints, the soldier had rubbed her wrist and ankles raw so the nurse applied some cream and bandages. When all that was done, Ali readjusted the resting woman to be as comfortable as possible. After sitting watch for several minutes, she took a steadying breath and stood to face the rest of the hot, desert day.

 


	5. Chapter 5

She sat at a picnic table on the covered patio of the mess hall just swirling her coffee around the cup. It had turned cold long before but now it was giving her mind something to focus on. She put one leg up on the bench and pulled it into her as she looked out across the base. Was this the place for her anymore? Why was this time so different?

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a fresh, steaming cup pf coffee being placed in front of her, and the strong hands of her friend removing the old one. “I thought I might find you out here.”

 

“Mmm,” Ali hummed as she brought the coffee to her lips. Even in the wretch, desert heat there was nothing the woman loved more than a good cup of coffee. They sat there silently for a few minutes drinking their drinks. She finally lifted her head some and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

 

“I’m sorry too.” The doctor replied. “I got ahead of myself and should have listened to you after you had been with her all night.”

 

“No, I was out of line to speak to you like that.” Ali cut him off. A small smile came across her lips. “Even if I was kind of right.”

 

Both soldiers chuckled quietly.

 

“What am I doing Owen?” Ali didn’t know what to say. She had so many jumbled thoughts running through her head. She looked at the man, hoping for some guidance. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”

 

“Ali,” he took her hand in one of his own. “From what I can see, you are helping a soldier through one of the hardest, most terrifying moments of their life.”

 

Ali let out a slight scoff as if to say that wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

 

“And if you’re thinking about the bigger picture, I’d start with the same answer. You are helping that soldier. You are doing everything and more than you signed up for all those years ago.” Owen nudged her hand. “And I’ve seen that care in your work every day since I met you. You are the best I have worked with, and I truly mean that. No matter what happens, whatever you decide to do after this, you will be excellent at what you’re doing.”

 

“Thanks Owen.” She squeezed his hand gratefully. They sat there, finishing their coffee, before the doctor stood.

 

“Well we better get back in there.” He smiled. “It’s almost time for Captain Harris’s next rounds of meds and I don’t need any more medical supplies shoved into my chest.”

 

“Ha ha. Sir.” She joked. “Very funny.”

 

Before they went in, he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. “She is still here because of you. She has twelve more hours here, let’s make them as comfortable as possible.”

* * *

The soldier was going longer before waking between doses. Ali needed to see her wake up before she received more. She sat in the chair she had frequented a lot in the past day. This time she held the free hand in hopes to lessen the confusion when the woman woke.

 

After a few minutes, she felt the fingers start to move. Ali stood so when the soldier’s eyes opened she could see her. Finally, her eyes opened and when they met, there was little confusion or movement.

 

“Hey there.” Ali gently brushed some hair from the woman’s forehead. “You remember where you are?”

 

Squeeze, and a slight nod.

 

“Good.” Ali was glad that was the case. “You doing okay?”

 

Nod.

 

“Really? No pain?” the nurse knew the soldier was trying to act tough.

 

Ashlyn’s head turned side to side enough for Ali to get it.

 

“Liar.” Ali smiled. “So, I guess that means you don’t need this next round then.”

 

Strong squeeze.

 

“That’s what I thought. “Ali moved to hang the new IV bag. She returned to the seat and smiled when the hand reached out to her and she gladly took it.

 

Ashlyn brought the hand to her chest and laid it beside the long bandage. She had to know what she’d endured and she tried to convey that need to the nurse.

 

“Are you sure?” Ali had seen this before. Soldiers always had to know the ugly truth. After the slight nod, she put on a pair of gloves and grabbed a small mirror, then they got started. She pulls down the sheet and the woman all the injuries and explains them yet again.

 

Ashlyn can feel herself getting anxious seeing her marred skin. She could deal with scars, she was alive that’s all that mattered. But would she be her old self again? That, she wasn’t sure if she could recover from. Once she was covered again, she grasped for the comfort of the hand.

 

“You’re okay. I’ve got you.” The brunette spoke softly. She could see the nerves. She sat there until the woman finally gave in to sleep, knowing they would only have one more encounter before she left the country.

* * *

When her eyes fluttered open it was dark. Everything around her was quiet. It must have been the middle of the night. She tried to move but was met with a jolt of pain. It all came back to her.

 

A new hand met hers. She recognized the nurse from other times. “Captain, I am First Lieutenant O’Rielly, Ali’s friend. She agreed to get a little rest if I promised to sit with you.”

 

Ashlyn nodded in understanding. She was starting to feel pretty bad and hoped the nurse could help her.

 

“I’m sorry but we can’t give you another round of meds. You leave for Germany in about five hours and protocol will be to sedate you. With all the pain killers you’ve been on, we need to clear them out of your system for the flight.”

 

The soldier’s eyes widened and she dropped the hand. Five more hours. And it was going to get worse. She set out to try and remove her mind from her pain. How was she going to do this?

* * *

“Hey Al, wake up.” The brunette felt Heather nudge her awake. She sat up, rubbing her eyes after her much needed rest. “I think you need to go be with Captain Harris. She is in a lot of pain and still has a few hours.”

 

That was all she needed to hear before she pulled on her scrub shirt, grabbed her pager, and headed toward her patient. She found Ashlyn staring blankly at the ceiling. There was no response the first time she called out. Ali moved beside her and rubbed the back of her hand across her cheek. “How are you?”

 

Pained eyes met hers along with a firm grip on her hand. Just feeling those soft hands on her made Ashlyn feel just a little bit better.

 

“So, do you like coffee?” Squeeze. “Oh good. Well, let me tell you this story about my first tour and my first cup of coffee.”

 

So, Ali took her time telling the story and talking about her favorite coffee places, all while rubbing circles on the soldier’s knuckles to calm her. She even tried to guess Ashlyn’s favorite way to drink her coffee. It made her happy to see the woman trying to help her along and even seeing a slight smile come out around the tube. At one point the brunette let out a nose crinkling laugh and the short haired woman felt her heart flutter. Ali could tell her method was working. For the next few hours the nurse talked endlessly, only stopping to read Ashlyn. Before they knew it, she had to start prepping her for transport.

 

“It’s time to get you ready.” Ali explained as Heather made her presence known. “First we are going to get you into that stylishly cut shirt so you have a little bit of dignity when you leave here.”

 

The soldier rolled her eyes, and the woman all chuckled.

 

 They had taken a shirt and basically cut it apart so they could cover the woman without too much difficulty. With a little bit of jostling and some grunts of pain, they had her in it. “There you go, that was probably the worst part.”

 

Next, all the machines she was hooked up to were switched to portable devices. There was a somber mood in the room as they worked. The nurses moved about with care and the soldier just let her mind go blank.

 

“On my count. 1, 2, 3.” They shifted the woman onto a transport gurney. They moved the machines over and strapped her in. Ali took her spot beside her charge before they moved. “We are going to head out now.”

 

The group rolled out of the ICU and through the hospital until they exited the doors. Ali moved her free hand to shield the soldier’s eyes. Once they were on the tarmac, Ali saw them. “Captain Harris, you’ve got quite the send off.”

 

They were walking through a tunnel of the captain’s ranger battalion, each member leaving her with some kind of touch and encouraging words. When her eyes met the last man, she felt an onslaught of emotion. “Hey Cap. You look like shit.”

 

She took his hand in a strong grip. “Easy there.” He too tried to control himself. There was a moment of unspoken understanding. “Not to worry, I’ll keep them in line.”

 

With that, they moved to the aircraft. Once inside, there was another bed transfer and the machines were hooked up again. The new medical staff did their checks and got her ready. They were given a five minute warning before they’d need to be ready. It was time for the final goodbyes.

 

“Well, this is it.” Ali grabbed her hand one last time, looking into those hazel eyes. “You take care of yourself okay. I don’t ever want to see you in my hospitals again.”

 

Squeeze and nod.

 

“You fought like hell to be here. You’re going to recover from this. It’ll be a hell of a fight but you will get there.” The eyes looking back at her were filled with gratitude. She knew what the soldier was saying. With a tap on the shoulder, a syringe appeared. “It’s time. This will finally give you some relief. When you wake up you’ll be in Landstuhl. Fly safe and rest easy, soldier.”

 

With that, she emptied the contents of the syringe into the IV tube, gave one final squeeze to the strong, bruised hand, and left the air craft, ready to face the final month in this hot hell hole she called home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me.   
> I didn't proofread

 Sterile air filled her nostrils. It was unfamiliar compared to the air she’d been breathing for several months prior. Upon opening her eyes, she found herself in a hospital room. As she came to, a man and woman entered the room.

 

“Captain Harris it’s good to see you awake finally.” The man spoke while the woman moved to her side and began looking over her injuries. “I am Dr. Mann and this is Dr. Keegan. We will be your doctors throughout your stay here. You’ve been pretty out of it for a few days.”

 

Her eyes widened not realizing she had been in the hospital for so long. She winced when she felt the woman push into her side. “Sorry Captain, just checking this bullet wound and your kidneys.”

 

“As you can see we have operated on your arm since you got here. I have set it with rods and plates in the arm to stabilize the breaks, and Dr. Keegan made sure the neurological and vascular integrity remained intact.” Dr. Mann explained. “We will keep it numbed and in the pressure dressings for another week and then do a functional test. There may be another surgery or two, but you will keep it and we hope to get you back to 100%.”

 

“And yes, we do think that is a real possibility.” Dr. Keegan cut in, reading the soldier’s mind. “The staff at the field hospital did an excellent job on all your injuries and with treatment here and extensive therapy back in the states, we hope to have you back at full strength.”

 

Ashlyn nodded, liking the sound of that.

 

“We’ll be back in every few hours to check on you. For now, get some rest. You’ll need it.” Dr. Keegan said with a pat to the soldier’s leg. 

* * *

The rise and fall of the bar, the burning in her arms and chest, it all felt good. She felt grounded. Sweat poured off her in the heat of the day. This was what she needed. This was where she needed to be.

 

After five more reps, she called it quits. She racked the weights and headed straight to the showers. The last few weeks of a deployment were always the hardest. It was difficult to know how you felt about going home. At the same time, you had to be at the top of your game.

 

Once she got to the hospital, everything else left her mind. It was another big one. They prepped the intake area and waited for the doors to open. Minutes later, the room was full of activity. She joined her trauma unit and went to her patient. “We’ve got you soldier. I’m Captain Krieger.”

* * *

 

It had been a day and a half since she woke up. She was still pretty doped up on meds and for the short periods of time she was awake, she was numb. At the moment, her bed was slightly up and she was staring out into the darkness through the window. She wasn’t thinking about anything in particular, just staring.

 

“What are you doing up?” Ashlyn was startled by the voice of Dr. Keegan coming in to check on her. She saw the soldier give her a shrug. “My patients aren’t usually up when I do these rounds.”

 

The doctor looked over her chart and checked the various machines. “You know, you really should get your rest.” She said the chart down. “Your numbers look okay. How about we try taking that tube out.”

 

The soldier gave her a quizzical look and then a nod. The doctor called for a nurse. “So, what’s going to happen is Jackie will use this suction here. I will clear the tube with the plunger and then remove it. For a second it is going to feel worse. When I tell you, I need you to cough.”

 

She saw a nod.

 

When they began, Ashlyn could feel the suction. Next, the doctor began pushing something on the tube and she felt like she was choking. She tried to cough or breath but it wasn’t working. She grabbed the arm in front of her.

 

“It’s ok remember. Now cough.” Keegan instructed. Ashlyn did as she was told and felt the tube get pulled out. She caught her breath after a second and an oxygen mask was placed over her nose and mouth. “There you go.”

 

“Th-, than-,“ she tried to talk but nothing was coming out.

 

“Rest for now.” Ashlyn felt the bed being laid back. “We can talk later, captain.”

 

“Ash, Ash…” the soldier tried to clear her throat in frustration. “Ashlyn.”

 

“Well it’s nice to officially meet you Ashlyn.” The shorter woman smiled. She watched the woman’s eyes droop closed and left her to rest.

* * *

“Is it true?” Heather ran over to her friends. “We get to leave next week?”

 

“Hold your horses HAO.” Ali laughed.

 

“You know how it is. Nothing is ever set in stone.” Owen knew the drill. “Tentative departure is set for six days, but be ready for anything.”

 

“I’m going to call Dave!” The hyper nurse left to tell her husband the good news.

 

“You gonna call anyone?” the man asked.

 

“No one to call.” Ali said somberly. “You know how it is. I’ll call my mom when I get home, spare the drama.”

 

“What about your brother?” He knew it was a rocky relationship but they were still family.

 

“We had a fight before I left and I haven’t heard from him since.” She explained. “It’s fine. It will be nice to be back in DC, and to see the cherry blossoms.” 

* * *

Her throat was raw, her body hurt, and she was exhausted but couldn’t sleep. Her mind wouldn’t let her. She thought about what it would be like to be back in DC. Maybe she’d make it back in time to see the cherry blossoms bloom. She loved to sit on the benches scattered around the city and take in the view, sometimes drawing in her sketchbook. Well maybe it would be a while before she could sketch again. Maybe she would never have everything back.

 

“I come bearing gifts.” Dr. Keegan broke her from her thoughts, pulling two cups from behind her back. “I know you’ve been stuck on the tube feeds but I got you cleared for this and I brought a treat.

 

Ashlyn looked at her skeptically.

 

“Oh, come on. I haven’t seen you in four days, and you got the chest tube out since the last time I saw you. Taking big steps Captain Harris.” She set both cups down on the table and sat on the side of the bed. “And this is me telling you you’re going to start physical and occupational therapy. Lesson one: holding a spoon. Cherry or lime?”

 

“I prefer pudding.” The soldier said, wanting to change the subject from what she had to do. When she saw the doctor wasn’t going to back down, she rolled her eyes and grabbed the cherry cup with her right hand. She used her teeth to pull off the top, accepted the spoon from the other woman. The she placed the jello cup between her legs and scooped a spoonful into her mouth with a slight grimace at the taste.

 

“Impressive.” The doctor admired. “Here I was ready to spoon feed you.”

 

“You wish Dr. Keegan.” Ashlyn smirked. “I would say my ability to hold a spoon, and feed myself nasty hospital jello remains intact.”

 

“I don’t know, I am the medical professional in the room.” She smiled. She stood from the bed and threw their trash away. “It’s Molly by the way. Molly Keegan.”

 

“I wondered when you were going to tell me that.” Ashlyn watched the woman move to her left, motioning to the arm in the sling. “Time for the big reveal?”

 

“Yep, I am going to do a functional evolution and see if I think you need another surgery before you go home.” She began removing some of the dressings around the setting. Bit by bit the soldier’s arm came into view. They had to admit, it looked better than they thought it would, keeping it mostly intact. There were large gashes down the outside of her hand and forearm to the inside, and the upper arm had a big laceration as well as some burns along the arm. “As you can see, we got all the wounds closed. You’ve got another pretty big incision on the top of your shoulder going down by your triceps, and one on the inside of your shoulder by your armpit where I worked with your nerves. We want to get you off the numbing so you start to get feeling back. It’s important for you to be able to feel as we watch for nerve damage.”

 

Dr. Keegan took her pen and rubbed the inside of Ashlyn’s hand. Even through the swelling they could see movement. “That’s the grasping reflex. It’s a very good sign, and you can feel my touch in some of the key areas. I think you’re set on surgeries here. The doctors at Walter Reed will do many follow up evaluations as you recover. Now we can set a tentative date for your return home.”

 

“Good to hear.” The soldier coughed out. She didn’t have much energy left and she just wanted to be alone and try to sleep.

 

“You okay?” Molly asked, seeing the shift in the woman’s mood.

 

“Yeah my chest is just sore from taking everything out.” She looked through the window at the darkness. “I’m tired.”

 

The doctor got her arm rewrapped and back into the sling. “Well get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

* * *

 

Over the next few days, the doctors saw their patient retreat into herself. Not that she should have had a lot of energy but her energy level was dangerously low. Therapy wasn’t going well, and no one seemed to be able to help. Dr. Keegan was not pleased with the regression.

 

When she went into the room, she saw eyes with dark bags under them and a lifeless stare. The woman looked smaller in her bed. She set a chocolate and vanilla pudding cup on the tray table. “Thought you could use a treat.” No answer. “Captain, I’m worried about what’s happened in the last few days.” Again, no answer. “Ashlyn, …”

 

When Molly put her hand on the soldier’s arm she felt how warm she was. She sat the bed up and the woman immediately began coughing. Ashlyn had been coughing on and off during the night but it was so painful she tried to hold it in. By now she felt terrible and sitting up made everything worse.

 

Dr. Keegan knew exactly what the problem was. She removed the oxygen mask, put on the nasal cannula, and held a cloth to her chin. She gently pulled the soldier into her so she was sitting up and could rest her forehead on the doctor’s shoulder, careful not to jostle the slinged arm. “You need to cough it out. Fighting it will only make things worse, okay.”

 

So that’s exactly what she did. Ashlyn coughed and coughed. It felt like it would never end. She felt like she was suffocating. It eventually came to an end and she worked to clear her throat. She finally sat up enough to lift her head and her eyes widened when she saw blood on the cloth and down Dr. Keegan’s blue scrubs.

 

“You may have torn the internal sutures in your lung. I’m going to take you right now to get a scan so I can fix it.” She put the mask back on and moved the patient quickly. “We’ll get you all sewn up and you’ll be good to go.”

 

All Ashlyn could do was nod. When was this going to end? She just wanted this to be over. All she wanted was to go home. 

* * *

“Here we go.” Ali said, pulling her ruck sack on. They had just arrived in DC, and were waiting to get off the plane.

 

“I’m so excited.” Heather could barely contain herself.

 

After another five minutes they were walking through the airport. Once through the terminal they were met with a crowd of families. Ali and Owen watched their friend drop her bag and sprint into the arms of her husband. They both smiled at the scene. They continued walking toward an older woman.

 

“Hey mom.” Owen pulled her into a strong hug. After a minute she pulled Ali into her own hug, the brunette happily accepting. “Al, we’ll give you a ride home.”

 

The group continued through the airport. They got to the main lobby and headed to the entrance. As they got to the doors, two people rounded the corner.

 

“Oh my god. Mom. Kyle.” Ali stood stock still, wide eyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't mean to keep making Ashlyn go through hell, but I wanted to create a connection. 
> 
> Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any errors. Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but wanted to get it out.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Ali spoke into her mother’s neck as she held her tightly. She didn’t know why, but the moment she saw her family it was like all those emotions of the long months had hit her. Tears fell down her cheeks and onto her fatigues as two sets of strong arms wrapped around her. “I’m so happy to be home.”

 

“We’ve missed you so much, Alex.” The older woman pulled back, wiping her daughter’s tears. “We couldn’t wait to see you.”

 

When Ali turned to her brother, she saw a new outlook on life in his eyes. Gone were the dark, lifeless eyes she’d left. Now she saw hope and life. This would be their new start. She pulled him into a hug. “Kyle.”

 

“I’m so sorry, B. Oh my god, I am so sorry.” He too was crying now. They held each other for a long time before he finally pulled away, grabbing her pack. “Alright enough tears. Let’s get you home. Mama wants to put some meat back on those bones.”

 

When they walked into her apartment, the brunette expected it to be cold and dark. Instead a delicious aroma filled her nostrils. The place looked like a home. A home she hadn’t stepped in in nearly a year. “Wow, you guys didn’t have to do this.”

 

“Oh please, we wanted your home coming to be as homey as possible.” Deb said as she walked to the kitchen and Kyle took the bags to the bedroom. “I threw some things in the crockpot and there’s wine on the counter. What can I get you?”

 

So that’s what they did. The family sat in the living room enjoying food, wine, and company. Ali sat quietly, laughing occasionally, listening to her mom and brother. She was beyond impressed that Kyle was no longer drinking and was turning his life around.

 

The nurse soon found herself in a losing battle with the soft cushions beneath her. Deb and Kyle put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Then the man carried his sister to her room and laid her in the bed. The older woman removed some of her clothes, covered up, and kissed her cheek. “Welcome home, Alex.”

* * *

 

Fire. That’s what she felt. Her lungs burned, her arm burned, her eyes burned, her heart burned. It had been so long since had had relief. That’s all she wanted now, all she longed for.

 

“Captain Harris.” A tall, skinny man walked in with a cart. “I am a respiratory therapist. Mt name is Chad Mayes. I am going to work with you on the pneumonia for the next few days to see if we can alleviate some of your symptoms before you ship out. “

 

She nodded to the man and he began setting up the equipment. “Now, Dr. Keegan has you on antibiotics for the infection, but a key will be the clear it from your lungs for someone in your condition. That can be difficult.”  

 

“And what’s me condition?” the soldier grumpily rasped.

 

“I just meant, uh I mean. Sorry, forget I said that.” He apologized. He placed a mask over her face with a small mouthpiece. “This is a nebulizer and it will help deliver medicine and oxygen as you breathe. I am going to have you do that for about ten minutes then just keep the oxygen on for a while.”

 

About halfway through the session, Dr. Keegan came into the room. “How are things going in here?” The brunette gave a shrug. “That well, huh. Alright so after this, a PT is going to come in and do some leg work with you in the bed. We’re going to try and do this until you leave. Dr. Mann is working on the paper work.”

 

After finishing both therapies, the woman was exhausted and welcomed the sleep that came. When she finally woke up it was dark outside. She noticed a light on in the corner and a familiar woman working on her tablet, two cups sitting on the table. A smile crossed her lips.

 

“Hey you’re awake.” The doctor closed the tablet and grabbed the cups. “So, your night feed finished a while ago so I have dessert. Chocolate or vanilla?”

 

“Chocolate, duh.” Ashlyn chuckled through a cough. The other woman quickly raised the bed and held up some water. “Thanks.”

 

They settled in eating the pudding, Molly taking up the bedside chair with her vanilla and Ashlyn eating her chocolate with one hand. “Three days.”

 

“Three days what?” Ashlyn was confused.

 

“You go back to D.C. in three days.” Dr. Keegan explained. “We got confirmation while you were asleep.”

 

“Oh, okay.” The soldier sat back for a moment. “I’m glad we finally know.”

 

“Are you excited?” the doctor asked.

 

“I don’t know.” She didn’t know how to feel. “I want to be better, so I guess I’m excited for that.” 

* * *

“So how long do you have?” Kyle asked as Ali sat down with their lattes. It had been a week since she returned and the siblings had started spending a lot of time together, rekindling their relationship. Now they sat in a new favorite coffee shop, catching up yet again.

 

“Until the end of the month.” Ali took a sip of the warm drink, happy to have it back in her life. “I start back at the hospital on Monday. I think it will help clarify things as I make my decision.”

 

“Do you have any idea what you want to do?” The man inquired, seeing his sister’s uncertainty. He reached across the table and took her hand. “Al, you okay? You’ve been pretty quiet since you got back.”

 

“I’m sorry. I’m just adjusting, Ky.” She apologized. She felt bad for her lack of presence. “You see a lot of stuff over there and it takes a while to process. And then thinking about all of this, I just have a lot going on.”

 

“Well I’m here to listen if you want to talk about it.” He comforted.

 

“And Kyle, please know that I will.” She took his hand in both of hers and looked into his eyes. “I am beyond grateful to have you back and be able to talk to you. I have missed you so much.”

 

“Okay, okay no tears please.” He stood and pulled her up with him. “Let’s get some retail therapy in and then maybe go or a walk along the mall. Sound good?”

 

“Sounds perfect!” Being home was going to be good for the nurse. 

* * *

 

“There she is.” The doctor pulled the brunette into a hug. “I knew you wouldn’t stay away from the action for very long.”

 

“Very funny Major Hunt.” Ali joked. Truthfully, she was very happy to be back in a familiar setting. This was where she needed to be and what she wanted. “Stop messing around and get to work.”

 

After re-familiarizing herself with the hospital, the woman set to work. She had a long month ahead of her if she was going to figure out what to do with her life.

* * *

 

She could hear music coming from the hall and a smile graced her lips as a familiar face rounded the corner with a fake candle on top of a mini cupcake. The doctor did a little dance, threw some confetti, and put the treat down in front of her patient.

 

“You didn’t have to do this.” Ashlyn rasped out.

 

“What do you mean I didn’t have to do it.” The doctor acted offended. “Why wouldn’t I want to celebrate my most stubborn patient going home in the morning.”

 

“Ha ha.” Ashlyn chuckled. “Am I actually allowed to eat this?”

 

“Well technically no.” Dr. Keegan said sadly. “But that’s why I got you the mini one. Shh, it’s our secret.”

 

“Your secret is safe with me. I just want the icing.” She swiped her finger through the confection and brought it to her lips. “Damn, that is good.”

 

“It’s been just a little while since you had something like that I’m betting.” Molly laughed. She was glad she could do something nice for the other woman.

 

“Yeah just a bit. Probably over a year.” The soldier thought for a minute before some icing went down wrong and she started coughing. In seconds the cup of water was in front of her and she sipped the straw. “Thank you.”

 

“So now that I’ve sugared you up a little, I should tell you we have some work to do before you leave in the morning.” The doctor informed, sitting the bed up all the way. “First, I want to check the progress on your arm.”

 

They found that Ashlyn was closer to making a fist than she had previously been, and had a decent amount of feeling in her arm. They wouldn’t be able to test range of motion until she was back in the states and the breaks were healed. Dr. Keegan checked the soldier’s leg movements, her left being harder to move due to the burns. Her lungs were still having some trouble, but with the infection they expected it. Lastly, she opened the brunette’s gown to examine the incision down her chest. “Everything is looking good captain. If you’re up for it, I’d like to try getting you to stand so I can look at your back.”

 

“Uh, okay.” Ashlyn was hesitant. With everything that had happened, she couldn’t even remember the last time she was vertical. She gave a hesitant nod.

 

After a few minutes of moving things around and getting some nurses, Dr. Keegan rotated the soldier’s legs, counted to three, and they moved her into a standing position. It was mostly just them holding her up, but Ashlyn was standing. “That wasn’t so bad, right. I’m going to open this up and take a look.” The doctor looked over the lacerations and shrapnel wounds on her back, shoulder, and neck.

 

“Alright, let’s get her back down.” They moved the woman back into bed. The doctor put the oxygen mask over her mouth to help breathe after all the activity. Once it was just the two of them, the shorter woman pulled something from her lab coat. “We received some of your belongings from your unit the other day. I grabbed your phone and thought you might want to call people. I know you said earlier you didn’t, but just in case.”

 

“I don’t have any calls to make.” Ashlyn spoke softly. “People don’t need to know.”

 

“Well I wanted to make sure you had it when you get home, in case you change your mind.” Molly set it down on the table and grabbed the charts to leave. “And there might be some new information in there if you need some company.”

 

With that, the doctor left the woman to get a few hours of rest on her final night in Germany. Ashlyn picked up the phone when it made a noise, smiling at the message from an unfamiliar number. “Chocolate or vanilla?”

* * *

 

“Good morning Captain Harris.” A woman walked into the room, pulling the blinds to let the sun in. The short haired woman was not pleased to be woken up. “We are going to get you up and moving today.”

 

Ashlyn had been back in the U.S. for about a week now. She was at Walter Reed Hospital to continue her treatment. It was quite the adjustment as they tried to pick up her rehab. Most days, the soldier was somewhat difficult to deal with but she did what they asked of her. By the end of her days, she would be in pain and ready to pass out, not before shooting a text to the only person she could talk to.

 

The nurse, a tall middle aged woman, moved around the bed, easing off the sheets. She got the woman up and into a new pair of scrub pants. Ashlyn was very pleased that she’d gotten the catheter removed and could put pants on the day before. “What do you say we do a lap before breakfast?”

 

“Whatever you say.” Ashlyn responded.

 

They got her up and gave her the cane she needed to walk. One nurse held onto the belt around Ashlyn’s waist and the other followed with the oxygen tank and iv pole attached the patient. They slowly exited the room, Ashlyn getting a feel for having her feet under her again.

 

As they walk farther, Ashlyn begins to feel anxiety rise inside her. She tried to calm herself but she knows that will only work for so long. They get closer to the nurse’s station and the soldier could swear she saw a flash of something familiar. She craned her neck to try and get a better look. Then, suddenly there was a loud bang followed lots of noise as breakfast trays scatter across the hall.

 

She is back there, surrounded by chaos. It is so loud. She can even smell the dust in her nostrils. She hears another bang and launches herself into a nurse to shield her from the nonexistent blast.

 

Ali had just gotten to the nurse’s station and was updating a patient chart when she heard the breakfast cart spill out. Tray after tray fell out and she rolled her eyes as she thought of the mess. Then she heard the chaos of people yelling and bodies moving. She followed a few others around the desk and saw several employees gathered around a patient. It was obvious they were trying to calm the soldier down. Unfortunately, treating soldiers came with events like this.

 

The brunette put on a pair of gloves and joined the group. She could see the soldier thrashing around as people tried to restrain them. There was a lot of yelling going on and Ali moved quickly to the patient’s head. She moved a few of the staff and knelt down.

 

“Everyone needs to calm down.” She spoke firmly and everyone listened. She moved her hands to the soldier’s face so their eyes could meet her own. Once they were both focused, the nurse let out a shocked gasp, “Oh my god…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!


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